Solar Electric Propulsion
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NASA
NASA Starts Up Gateway’s Power System for First Time
Development continues on NASA’s Power and Propulsion Element, a solar electric propulsion spacecraft designed to provide power for Gateway in lunar orbit. Able to generate 60 kilowatts of power, the element was successfully powered on earlier last year. The milestone demonstrates the element can provide the spacecraft with power, high-rate communications, attitude control, as well as the ability to maintain and maneuver…
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NASA
NASA’s Psyche Fires Up Its Sci-Fi-Worthy Thrusters
The spacecraft already is beyond the distance of Mars and is using ion propulsion to accelerate toward a metal-rich asteroid, where it will orbit and collect science data. NASA’s Psyche spacecraft passed its six-month checkup with a clean bill of health, and there’s no holding back now. Navigators are firing its futuristic-looking electric thrusters, which emit a blue glow, nearly…
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NASA
NASA’s Psyche—Maxar Space Systems’ First Deep Space Spacecraft— Performing Well After Launch
NASA’s longest mission to use commercial solar electric propulsion (SEP) is underway after launch earlier today. Maxar Space Systems, provider of comprehensive space technologies, built the unique spacecraft chassis based on the Maxar 1300™ series bus, the world’s most trusted space platform. The Maxar Space Systems-built Psyche chassis spread its two solar arrays and successfully started maneuvers toward the asteroid…
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